A Nooksack, Wash., man accused in the ax slaying of a 67-year-old man has been arraigned on a first-degree murder charge.

The Bellingham Herald says ( http://is.gd/iIl3wP) that 25-year-old Levi Eugene Joseph Charles is accused of killing Kenneth Lee Joseph. Charles was arraigned Thursday.

A federal indictment filed this week alleges that Charles attacked Joseph with an ax during a burglary on Oct. 23. Joseph was a member of the Lummi and Sauk-Suiattle tribes. He was found dead in his house.

The case is being prosecuted in federal court because it's a serious crime involving members of Indian tribes.

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Information from: The Bellingham Herald, http://www.bellinghamherald.com